At last mention, there were 21 solid bids for four Shuttles (Enterprise, Atlantis, Discovery & Endeavour), with the only certainty being that Shuttle Discovery would be sent to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Houston, according to the coalition of letter-writing, fund-raising supporters, should definitely be the keeper of one of these great national treasures, as detailed by the website: Bring The Shuttle Home.

Their first page is already humorously out-of-date, since they mention the program ending in 2010. With NASA's newest change to the official Launch Schedule, the Shuttle program is now due to end in early 2011.

From the first Shuttle launch in April 1981 to March 2011 when Shuttle Endeavour makes her final landing, the American Space Shuttle Program will have spanned one-month-under 30 years!

Agreed.

I've also updated (again!) my "Final Five Shuttle Missions" post and moved it to the space below this post for anyone who wants to check the new details.

If you are part of another bring-the-Shuttle-to-my-city effort, and choose not to participate in the Houston effort, I still say, best of luck! Regardless of where they make their final appearances, we all know that many of us will travel wherever necessary to see them once they are "parked" at their new permanent homes!

An aside –The last flight is certainly fraught with emotion from every corner, but you'd never know it from this view of the STS-134 astronauts, who posed for perhaps the most laid back official crew photo I've ever seen! (Seriously, why didn't they just hand them cigars and martinis??)

Here is what I think. They should move the shuttles from city to city all across the United States. I totally support the program, but with the amount of money we have spent on it, I think anyone who wants to see it should be able to.

Personally, I think Abbeville, South Carolina ought to get one - since, I could hire you as the Official NASA caretaker and then you would have to move here. lol

Don't know what happened to my posting the other day, but strange things are happening all over these days. I hope you didn't take offense at my email I sent ya. I was just making a point and teasing you a bit. Still the view from space is excellent! lol

Honestly, I vote Houston - since Cape Canaveral has got plenty of rockets already and everywhere else is largely inappropriate. Like, I don't remember any rockets being launched or controlled from The Big Apple, ya know....

@Anonymous - I'd sure love to see it as a traveling exhibit too, but they must be preserved in climate-controlled buildings and NASA has very stringent criteria on how they can be housed.

@Frank - You'll laugh... I've already lived in SC!! Many moons ago. For you, I think the closest one might get is Canaveral! Rumor has it that Endeavour will stay there. No offense was taken, I'm just severely BEHIND in email, but I'll answer soon! :)

@Tom, best of luck! I'd definitely visit Seattle if one heads there, love that city! :)